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SFUSD Teachers Strike Ends After Four Days
San Francisco's first teachers strike in 47 years ended today. Four days, 50,000 students affected, 13-hour bargaining session.
San Francisco’s first teachers strike in 47 years ended at 5:30 a.m. this morning after a 13-hour bargaining session. Union and district finally agreed.
Four Days, 120 Schools Closed
Nearly 6,000 teachers walked off the job Monday, February 9. Every SFUSD school closed, all 120 of them. That’s 50,000 kids out of class. Parents scrambled for childcare. Tech workers worked from home while watching their kids. Daycares got flooded with requests.
Teachers picketed at their schools in the mornings. Rain didn’t stop them. Thousands rallied at Dolores Park, City Hall, Market Street. Red “UESF on Strike” shirts everywhere downtown.
What Teachers Wanted
Fully employer-paid family healthcare. That was the big one. “That amount of money is life-changing to us,” one teacher said. They also wanted 14% raises for teachers, 9% for paraprofessionals and aides.
The union said the district had the money. “The money that has been presented was money that we knew they had,” said UESF Vice President Frank Lara. They also pushed for smaller special education workloads, immigrant student protections, and restrictions on AI replacing teachers.
Teachers had been working under an expired contract since July. Eleven months of negotiations got nowhere.
What the District Said
Superintendent Maria Su said they didn’t have the money. “We do not have enough funds to pay for this year and the next two years.” The district faces a $102 million budget deficit next school year. They’re under state fiscal oversight.
SFUSD offered 6% raises over three years. Way below union demands. They said full family healthcare costs $14 million a year. Too expensive given the budget deficit and state restrictions.
The Deal
Healthcare: Full coverage for families starting January 2027. Interim relief funding starts July 2026.
Wages: 4% raises for teachers over two years, plus additional paid work days. 8.5% raises for paraprofessionals and aides over two years.
Special Ed: Commitment to “additional support” and a working group to fix workload issues.
Other stuff: Full-time security positions. Extra floating holiday for classified staff. Immigrant student protections. AI instruction restrictions.
Who Got What
The union called it a win. Healthcare was the prize—full family coverage starting January 2027. That’s what they wanted most.
The district moved way past their original offer. 4% raises instead of 6% over three years, but healthcare costs them $14 million a year. That’s the real money.
Superintendent Su called it “a new beginning.” Mayor Lurie praised both sides. Standard political talk after a strike ends.
Back to School
Schools reopen Wednesday, February 18, if union members ratify the deal. Voting happens over the weekend. It’ll pass—teachers got healthcare.
Parents get childcare again. Teachers get paid healthcare for families. District faces a bigger budget hole next year. Same cycle: budget crisis, contract fight, strike threat, deal at the last minute.
First teachers strike since 1979. Oakland just did this. LA did it a few years back. Same pattern across California—teacher pay can’t keep up with housing costs, districts claim they’re broke, unions strike, politicians scramble. SF just joined the list.